New approach to minimise skin scarring

New York, July 9 (IANS) Ugly scars whether from surgery or battle wounds can affect both body and mind. New research offers a strategy to smooth out scarring.

“Scars can be disfiguring and, if extensive enough, can lead to diminished function and quality of life,” said Bruce N. Cronstein, study co-author and researcher in translational medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York.

“We hope that our findings may lead to new agents that diminish scarring and disfigurement following burns, wounds, or even illnesses that destroy skin and lead to a better quality of life for victims of these traumas,” adds Cronstein, the FASEB Journal reports.

The findings show how agents that block receptors for adenosine (a molecule generated from Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP, which provides energy to make you run, talk, play), can be applied to healing scars, according to a New York statement.

“The vast majority of scars are hardly noticeable, if they can be seen at all,” said Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, which published the report, “but for some, scars can severely disfigure not only the body, but the mind.”

“Finding ways to prevent scarring after wounds or surgery has the potential to improve the quality of life for those who suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, now and for generations to come,” added Weissmann.